Visiting the Grandparents
by Penelope Cross
Summary: Sure, she would only be gone for a day but ever since Sectionals Brittany has been oddly aware of how little time she has left with Santana before graduation.  Every Saturday she doesn't get to spend with her is one lost in Brittany's opinion.


When Brittany's mom tells her she has to go to her grandparents this Saturday she gets this weird bittersweet feeling that settles in the pit of her stomach.

Brittany loves her grandparents. They're the best. They dote on her and tell her she's so pretty and talented. They make jokes with her and take her seriously when sometimes her parents don't. Her grandmother likes to hug her, pat her, be affectionate which Brittany loves. Her grandfather is always telling the best stories or sneaking her money because she's 'young and pretty and needs to have fun.'

The down side is that she has to leave Santana behind. Sure, she would only be gone for a day but ever since Sectionals Brittany has been oddly aware of how little time she has left with Santana before graduation. Every Saturday she doesn't get to spend with her is one lost in Brittany's opinion.

What choice does she really have though?

/

"Britt Britt," Santana says when she answer her phone. "Hey, I was just thinking about you."

Her voice is soft and sweet and has Brittany smiling like a dork, but she can't help it. Santana just kind of makes her do that anymore. "Oh yeah?"

Santana giggles lightly into the phone. "Yeah."

And as badly as Brittany wants to hear all of Santana's thoughts always, she has to break the news to her. "San," she says.

"Yeah?" Santana replies and her tone has softened but in the nervous way that Brittany hates. It's that scared-nervous voice that Santana uses when she's unsure of herself.

"I have to go to my grandparents this Saturday," Brittany says in a half-whine.

"Oh," Santana says, like she's surprised she isn't more surprised. "Okay, you love your grandparents."

"Yeah," says Brittany and she shrugs because Santana doesn't seem to just get it instantly like Brittany did. "But that means that I can't spend Saturday with you."

"Oh," Santana says again. This time her voice is soft in the only-for-Brittany way. "Britt, that's okay, it's not like you'll be gone all weekend and I can spend Friday night with you and Sunday."

"Yeah, it's just," Brittany says, pausing for a moment. "I'm just really gonna miss you."

"I'm gonna miss you, too," Santana says.

"No, I'm _really_ gonna miss you," Brittany says, frowning slightly.

/

The drive to her grandparents is only a few hours. It goes by fast, though. Brittany brings her laptop and sets it on the console so she and her sister, Sarah, can watch movies. She brings _The Little Mermaid _and _Hercules_, they have just enough time to watch them both and complain with a few 'Are we there yets?' before they pull into their grandparents driveway.

Sarah jumps out of the car and darts to the front door which pushes open and disappears inside. Brittany rolls her eyes and lugs her messenger bag out of the floorboard and sliding out of her mothers Durango. She follows her parents inside and can't help but smile when she's hit with the smell of her grandparents house. It smells like childhood. It smells like her grandmothers perfume and her grandfathers aftershave. It smells like old furniture and dust and has a slight under layer of elderly musk that Brittany finds comforting.

It feels good to be back, especially when her grandmother is pulling her into a big hug and leading her into the living room. She keeps one arm around Brittany's back because now she's too short to reach her shoulders anymore.

"Did you shrink?" Brittany asks playfully.

"I think so, yes," her grandmother replies in her frail kind of voice that Brittany has missed. She laughs in response.

"Oh my goodness," her grandfather exclaims when they enter the living room. He's sitting on the corner of the couch with Sarah in his lap. "Look at your sister, she's 90% legs these days!"

Sarah makes a face at him and he wraps his arms around her tight. He chuckles deep in his throat. Brittany remembers when that used to be her, sitting in his lap while he told her stories. Stories about how he met Brittany's grandmother. Or funny stories from when he was younger and lived in Georgia and used to get into trouble, but not really because there was only one stop light in town. Brittany never really understood what he meant when he said that, though.

"Come in now and sit and tell us about everything," her grandmother says and Brittany obliges, sitting in the old brown chair adjacent to the couch.

Sarah talks for what feels like years about school and how she's going to join band next year and how she wants to play the flute because it can sound like a bird and go really high.

When it's Brittany's turn to talk she talks about Glee club and Santana and Cheerios and Santana and being senior class president and how Santana voted for her. She's not sure if her grandparents know about Santana, though. I mean, they _know_ her of course, they've met her on occasions, but she isn't sure if her parents have told them that she's like, really in love with Santana.

"Senior class president," her grandmother echoes.

"Smart girl," her grandfather says, winking at her.

Brittany smiles so wide. She pulls out her phone and texts Santana, letting her know she misses her and wishes she was there. Santana's reply is swift and full of love and Brittany feels warm.

They talk for a long time. So long that Sarah falls asleep in her mothers lap. Brittany remembers when she used to get bored and fall asleep while the adults talked. Now she can't help but listen, intrigued, about other family members, her grandparents daily lives. They talk about her and even pull her into the conversation, like she's one of the adults now or something.

"Well, I'm going to go take a look at those gutters," her dad says after they've been sitting in thoughtful silence for a few minutes.

"Well, thank you, sweetie," Brittany's grandmother says when Brittany's dad stands up and pulls on his jacket.

"Well, sure, that's why I'm here," he says, shrugging and heading out of the room.

"I'm going to go lay Sarah down in the guest bedroom," says Brittany's mom, standing up and struggling a bit to carry Sarah. She's gotten longer. Brittany thinks it must be a Pierce thing to be so long and tall and blonde; her mom is the same way. "Then get started on those boxes."

"Take your time, we're in no rush," her grandfather says.

When her mom has left the room Brittany turns to her grandfather. "What boxes?"

"Oh, you know," he says, waving a hand as if it's nothing. "Old things we don't want anymore, some of your mama's old things. Thought we'd let her have a look before throwing it all out."

"Oh," Brittany says.

"You can go look, too. If you want to, sweetie," her grandmother offers, smiling at her.

"I'm okay," Brittany says, reclining in the old chair. "I'd rather stay in here with you."

"That's always nice to hear," her grandfather replies.

/

They sit for a long time. Brittany gets bored watching television because her grandfather likes to keep it on mute and leave the closed captions on. He claims the noise is too much. Brittany thinks he's making that up. Sometimes she has to say things three times before he can make out exactly what she's saying. His hearing has gotten so bad.

So Brittany plays on her phone for a while. She's already beaten and overplayed all of her games, though. She looks around the living room a few times and tries to see if anything looks different. After years of coming to her grandparents, everything still looks the same. It's oddly comforting to Brittany, who feels like things in Lima are changing for her every day.

She texts Santana.

_Miss u San_

A quick reply:

_you'll be home soon, miss you too._

She smiles at the reply and sighs. She looks up.

Brittany notices that her grandmother has begun to doze off. Her head lulls back a bit before she catches herself and shakes herself awake. Brittany tries not to laugh, but it's a little adorable. She's slumped low in her chair, watching her grandmother fall asleep, catch herself, shake herself awake.

Her grandfather notices too, though, and does the sweetest thing ever.

"Honey," she hears him whisper.

"Yes, what?" her grandmother mumbles.

"Why don't you lie down?" He pats her leg gently and looks at her like she's the most precious thing in the world.

"Oh, no, I'm okay. The girls are here," her grandmother mumbles through tired lips.

"Oh, Nina, they don't mind," her grandfather says, voice still low and soft.

Brittany's lips curl up as she watches their exchange. They're acting like they're in their own little world, using pet names and looking at each other with so much love. It makes Brittany smile wider and her heart tug; she wishes Santana was with her.

"Well, okay," her grandmother relents.

Her grandfather stands up and takes two of the cushions off the back of the couch, leaving the one he had been resting against. He props one up at the opposite end of the couch and grabs a blanket out of the old trunk that sits in the corner.

Brittany watches as her grandmother stretches out and gently lowers herself onto the pillow, still half asleep. Her grandfather smiles down at her like she's just done the cutest thing ever. He takes off her glasses for her so she won't bend them in her sleep. He kneels by the couch and unties her shoes, slipping them off of her feet ever so gently. He stands up and drapes the blanket over her before settling back down on his end of the couch, patting her leg softly.

He looks up and catches Brittany watching him and smiles, as if he's just done the most natural thing in the world. His eyes look like they're sparkling, like there's something inside of him glowing.

"You guys are so sweet," Brittany says because she feels the need to say something.

He turns his head to look at his now sleeping wife. "When you love someone..." He doesn't finish his sentence and Brittany knows he doesn't have to, because she gets it. She gets it so well and her heart tugs again.

They sit in silence for a little while longer.

"Next time you visit," her grandfather says, keeping his voice low so he doesn't wake Brittany's grandmother. "You should bring Santana. It's been a long time since we've seen her." He turns to look at Brittany then and he's wearing a smirk that Brittany recognizes immediately. He only wears it when he knows he's right about something.

"You sure that's okay?" Brittany asks. She knows what he's saying to her but for some reason she feels nervous about the whole situation.

"Brittany," he begins and his voice is still low but it's also very clear, like he's trying really hard to make sure she really listens to what he's saying. "You know that your grandmother and I think love is the most important thing a person needs and needs to show."

Brittany nods and can't help the grin that's slipping onto her face.

/

When they get home sort of late on Saturday night the first thing Brittany wants to do is call Santana. Her parents say it's been a long day and it's late. Brittany knows that it _has_ been a long day for them but probably not for Santana. She knows Santana won't mind if she calls her even though it's a little past ten.

"Hey," Santana answers after the first ring. "Back safe?"

"Yes'm," Brittany says, mimicking the way her grandmother speaks. "Home safe."

"Good," Santana says. "So, what're we doing tomorrow?"

/

"Britt," Santana mumbles. She's leaning against Brittany, her head resting on her shoulder, Brittany's arm slung around her. "I'm so comfy."

"Then sleep," Brittany hushes, kissing the top of her head.

"I wanna spend time with you," Santana says, dragging out the words slightly.

"You are spending time with me," Brittany giggles into her hair.

Santana sighs. "Tell me about your grandparents."

"I told you, it was boring," Brittany replied, pulling the blanket in her lap up around Santana.

"Mmm," Santana replies.

"My grandparents want you to come next time," Brittany says.

"Yeah?" Santana asks. She sounds more awake.

"Yeah, I think they know, you know?" Brittany finds Santana's hand under the blanket and flips it. She runs her fingers over Santana's soft palm.

Santana shifts slightly and Brittany can feel her body tensing. "Well," Santana says, exhaling. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"I would love that," she mumbles into Santana's hair.

"I would love to come, then," Santana says. She shifts her body, lying down and placing her head in Brittany's lap. "Your grandfather is awesome anyway."

Brittany spreads the blanket out over Santana and strokes her hair behind her ears. She lets her hand rest on Santana's shoulder and rubs it gently. "Need anything?" Brittany asks as Santana's shuffling stops and she becomes comfortable, curled up in Brittany's lap.

"Only you," Santana replies.

Brittany smiles and feels like there's something glowing inside of her.


End file.
